Battery



BATTERY B. C. ROEHRL Filed Feb. 23, 1951 mvmmmmwmm Nmmwmxxmx March 25, 1952 rwentor W #www Patented Mar. 25, 1952 "-s'l BATTERY 1 Bruno C. Roehrl, Erie, Pa.,assignorY to National Organ Supply Compan tion of Pennsylvania y, Erie, Pa., a corpora- Appiieatibnrebruary 2s,1951,serialN0.212,347

I This invention Vis intended to produce a sealed to hold the sealing pressure. Further objects and advantages appear in the specification and claims.

In .the drawing, Fig. 1 is a section through a battery showing the parts in position for sealing,` Fig. 2 is a' section through a battery after sealing, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the sealing-gasket.

`The battery has opposed cup shaped electrodes I and 2, the electrodelfor example being steel and filled with compressed graphite 3 and the electrode 2 being copper and lled with mercury oxide 4. Between the electrodes are felt disks 5 saturated with a potassium hydroxide electrolyte (e. g. 40% solution). The parts so far described are typical of one form of battery cell and other batteries obviously will require different materials.

The battery terminals can be either central projections 6 as indicated at the top in Figs. 1 and 2 or the entire bottom wall 'I of the electrodes as indicated at the bottom in Figs. 1 and 2. The construction at the bottom results in approximately greater capacity for the same space.

The battery so far described requires a liquid tight seal which is effected by an annular flexible or elastic sealing gasket 8 of a material inert to the battery liquids. Such materials are well known and for example can be selected from the class of elastomers of which neoprene and the vinyl resins are examples.

The gasket has a flared groove 9 at its upper and lower edges dened by inner and outer walls I0, II which readily receive outwardly flared lips l2 on the electrodes I and 2. The outer walls II of the gasket loosely fit within rims I3 of clamping rings I4 which iit over the ends of the electrodes I and 2. As shown at the top in Figs. 1 and 2, the clamping rings may have bottom walls I5 which engage the bottoms of the electrodes I and 2 around the projections 6. As shown at the bottom in Figs. l and 2 the clamping rings may be essentially flush with the bottom walls 1 of the electrodes having curved seats I6 for the outer edge I'I of the electrodes. It is not necessary to have the clamping rings I4 engage any part of the Y claims. (C1. 13e-133) bottoms Yofr theielectrodes. ItlisI satlsf'actoryj'to have the clamping rings stopsomewherefalong the sides of the electrodes'as indicatedbyldotted lines I8 at the bottom of Fig. 1. The rims I3`of the clamping rings I4 merge into inclined cam surfaces I9 which as the rings I4 are pressed to gether engage the outer walls II of the gasket 8 and compress the outer walls ofthe gasket against the outer surface of the electrodes and inparticular against the outer surface of the ilared rims 1 I2 of the electrodes. The clamping rings Mare preferably `made from a cementable plastic such as polystyrene. By moisteningthe edges 2 vwith a suitable solvent, these .edgesl will adhereitogether and produce al liquidtight seal when the clamping ringsare'pressed together.v

y In the assembly of thebattery, the bottomelectrode y2 is seated within the' lower` clampingring I4. The gasket 8 is then loosely seated within the rim I3 of the lower clamping rings I4 andthe lower groove 9 will register with the outwardly flared rim I2. In this position, the gasket; is not pressed against the outwardly ilaring rim I'2 of the lower electrode but the inner and outer walls ID and I I of the gasket do straddle the rim. The felt washers 5 can now be dropped in place and the upper electrode I with its clamping ring I4 placed on top of the gasket 8. As shown in Fig. 1, the inner and outer walls I0 and II are not pressed against the rim I2 of the electrode I but the rim I 2 merely registers with or is loosely received between the walls. Prior to the assembly. the edges 20 of the clamping rings I4 have been moistened with a suitable solvent. The assembly of the battery is completed by pressing the clamping rings I4 together until the edges 20 abut in sealing engagement and in holding the rings in this position until the plastic has set to a uid tight seal. The setting of the joint between the edges 2|] is'rapid. This technique for -joining plastics is known in the plastic art as cementing. As the clamping rings I4 are pressed together the inner and outer walls I0 and II of the gasket 8 are mly squeezed against the outwardly flaring rims I2 of the electrodes. The greatest sealing pressure is eiected by the squeezing of the outer wall II between the inclined cam surface I9 and the outer surface of the rim I2 and possibly to some extent the outer surface of the electrodes. The pressing of the rims I2 into the bottom of the grooves 9 also assists in bringing the walls I0 and I I against the adjacent surfaces of the rims. In the completed assembly, the electrodes I and 2 are insulated by the section of the gasket 8 between the grooves 9. The clamping rings I4 also provide further electrical insulation. In the form of the invention shown at the top in Figs. 1 and 2, the clamping rings substantially completely enclose the battery except for the projections E. In the form of the invention shown at the bottom of Figs. 1 and 2, the clamping rings provide an extended insulation beyond 'the upper and lower edges of the gasket 8. This insulation provides mechanical protection for the battery as Well as electrical insulation. In either case, there is a fiuid tight seal throughout the entire region between the cam surfaces I9.

The construction is very easy to assemblesince all of the parts register and can merely be dropped in place. As the clamping'rings I4 aresqueezed together to bring the surfaces 20 into cementing engagement, the .cam surfaces AI9 squeeze the gasket against the outer surface of the electrodes and rims I2 and effect a uid tight pressure seal. As the parts are being squeezed together, there is essentially no danger of having the parts get out of position because in the initial position the rims I2 register with the grooves 9 and as the clamping rings I4 are pressed together, the cam surfaces I9 guide the outer walls II of the gasket into position to grip the outer surface of the electrodes.

Since the clamping actionbf the rings I4 is essentially confined to the region between the cam surfaces I9, it is unnecessary that the clamping rings have walls I5 as shown at the top in Figs. 1 and 2 which extend over the bottom walls of the electrodes. This permits the use of iiat bottom walls 'I on the electrodes as shown at the bottom in Figs. 1 and 2 and thereby eiects an lsuch as in hearing aids where the batteries must occupy a limited space.

What I claim as new is:

l. A battery comprising a pair of opposed cup shaped electrodes with outwardly flaring rims, an annular flexible sealing member between the electrodes having inner and outer walls on lts edges defining grooves receiving the electrode rims, a pair of plastic cam rings surrounding Vthe electrodes and having cam surfaces engaging the outer walls of the sealing member and squeezing the same against the outer surface of the rims and having edges in abutting relation, and a cement joint uniting the abutting edges of the cam rings.

2. A battery comprising an annular flexible sealing member having inner and outer walls on its upper and lower edges dening grooves, opposed cup shaped electrodes having rims telescoped into the grooves, plastic cam rings telescoped over the electrodes and sealing member and having edges abutting on the outer surface of the sealing member, a cement joint uniting the abutting edges of the cam rings, and cam sur- BRUNO C. ROEHR-L.

No references cited.l 

